The government of Bangladesh has initiated the import of lentils and rice-bran oil for distribution among lower-income individuals during the upcoming Ramadan. The food items will be provided at subsidized rates under the Open Market Sale (OMS) initiative or distributed among approximately one crore family cardholders of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh. The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase has approved the import of 20,000 tonnes of lentils and 1.20 crore litres of rice-bran oil, costing Tk 201.59 crore and Tk 189.60 crore, respectively.
The government plans to import a total of 2.88 lakh tonnes of lentils and 28.80 lakh litres of rice-bran oil in fiscal year 2023-24. The Finance Minister chaired the committee's meeting, the first in-person gathering since the Covid-19 pandemic. The committee approved purchases worth Tk 2,305 crore, including the import of 33.60 lakh MMbtus of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and 2.60 lakh tonnes of fertilizers from international sources.